Conveyer



M. ADRIAN Feb. 16, 1943.

CONVEYER Filed Dec. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR M. ADRIAN Feb. 16, 1943.

CONVEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a nwmawlk Filed Dec. 22, 1941 Q' A N INVENTOR:

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ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYER Manuel Adrian, San Jose, Calif.

Application December 22, 1941, Serial No. 423,965

3 Claims.

In the operation of a modern self-propelled street sweeper the accumulated dirt and refuse of the street is picked up by an elevator and discharged into a bin carried by the vehicle upon which the elevator is mounted. Such an elevator includes an inclined, solid-bottomed conveyer frame over which a succession of motor driven scraping elements move to carry the said material upwardly to the .point of discharge, the elevator as a whole being pivotally mounted upon the sweeper frame. One of the great difiiculties encountered in the operation of an elevator of this kind is that when it encounters solid articles of material size the mechanism jams, or some part is deformed or broken.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an elevator construction of the character indicated that will be so constructed and arranged as to be sufficiently flexible to handle all objects that may be encountered without jamming and without injury to any part of the ele vator.

It is also an object to provide an elevator of the character indicated that will be economical to manufacture, extremely simple in form and construction, and strong and durable in its practical application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an elevator embodying my invention in operative position on a vehicle frame, partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fi ure 2.

In the figures referred to the numeral l indicates a portion of the frame of the street sweeper,

and indicates bearing blocks thereon in which the conveyer frame 3 is journaled by means of pivot pins 4. 3

In the conveyer frame 3, and horizontally disposed in the upper and lower ends thereof are disposed shafts 5 and 6 respectively. The lower shaft 6 is fixedly mounted at its ends in arms 1, the oppositeends of arms I being pivotally secured to the inner sides of the conveyer frame as at 8.

On the shaft 6, and extending the length thereof, is mounted a rotatable sleeve 9 fitted with spaced sprockets as at In. The upper shaft 5 is fitted with corresponding sprockets as H, and endless chains [2 are mounted on the sprockets as shown. On the chains I2 are mounted a number of spaced and horizontally disposed scraper elements as l3 extending from one side of the conveyer frame to the other and travelling upon the bottom of the conveyer frame when the chains are rotated in the direction of the arrow l4.

One end of the shaft 5 is journaled in a bearing member [5 which is slldably mounted in a guideway 16 in a plate I! which is in turn fixedly mounted on an arm l8 pivotally mounted on the outer side of conveyer frame 3 as shown at [9. The plate IT has an elongated opening formed therein and extending lengthwise thereof on opposite sides of the shaft 5 which passes therethrough. Plate I! also has a set screw 23 mounted therein to bear against the bearing member I5 whereby the said member, and the shaft 5 therein, can be adjusted against the pull of chains I2. The arm I8 upon which the plate I! is fixedly mounted, has an oblong slot formed therein lengthwise thereof to permit the adjustment of the shaft 5 as above set forth as shown at 21, and since the bearing member I5 is adjustable in an are about the pivot point I3, the side of the conveyer frame is provided with an opening 22 disposed to permit adjustment of the shaft 5 in any direction.

The end of the shaft 5 opposite to that above described is keyed to a clutch member 23 which is in turn journaled in a plate 24 which is slidably mounted in a guideway 25 in plate 26 fixedly mounted on arm 21 pivotally mounted on the side of the conveyer frame 3 as at 28. The plates 26 and arm 21, and also the side of conveyer frame 3, each has a slot or opening formed therein to permit the same adjustments therein as described in connection with the other end of the shaft, said openings being indicated at 29, 30 and 3|. The adjusting screw for the plate 24 is shown at 32, and an adjustable stop for the arcuate movement of arm 21 is shown at 33.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 5 is a sprocket wheel 34, and this sprocket is also a clutch member engaging the clutch member 23, being normally held in such engagement by means of a spring 35 on shaft 5.

On the pivot pin 4 corresponding to the structure above described, are mounted sprockets 36 and 31, one sprocket carrying the chain 38 passing over sprocket 34, and the other engaging a chain 39 by means of which the elevator is actuated by a motor not shown.

By means of the simple construction described the scraper elements 13 will always, under normal conditions, have proper contact with the bottom of the elevator, but when an object of unusual size is encountered by the lowermost scraper element it will pivot freely about the pivot points 8. This action may be the same at both ends of shaft 6, or it may take place at one end only, each end being free to swing on its pivot independently of the other.

The same freedom of action is permitted either end of the upper shaft 5, and when necessary the clutch thereon will automatically be thrown out of engagement.

In addition to the foregoing the sprockets 35-31 operate as a unit about the axis of pin 4, and at the same time the conveyer frame 3 has an independent pivotal movement on said axis with the result that the conveyer frame may adjust itself to prevailing conditions without interfering with the operation of the elevating mechanism.

Although but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it, will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction and mode of assembly and operation may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, with an inclined conveyer frame, of an endless conveyer mounted in the conveyer frame with a drive shaft extending laterally through the sides of the conveyer frame, and bearing members on the shaft ends, said conveyer frame having openings formed in its sides to encompass said shaft and sufficiently large to permit adjustment of the shaft in all directions, swingable arms pivotally mounted on the conveyer frame sides to overlie said openings and provided with longitudinal slots encompassing said shaft, a guide plate mounted on each arm and provided with an opening to encompass said bearing member and a guide way to limit the movement of said bearing member therein, means for adjusting said plates in said guide ways, one end of said shaft having a drive sprocket thereon and a resiliently mounted clutch inserted between the sprocket and the adjacent bearing member.

2. The combination with an inclined conveyer frame, of a pair of arms pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the frame adjacent the lower end thereof and extending downwardly toward the end thereof, a shaft fixedly connecting the free ends of the arms, a sleeve rotatably mounted on the shaft and extending the length thereof, a drive shaft extending laterally through the sides of the frame adjacent its upper end, said frame having openings formed in its sides to encompass said shaft and sufficiently large-to permit adjustment of the shaft in all directions, swingable arms pivotally mounted on the upper portions of the frame sides to overlie said openings, bearing members mounted for longitudinal adjustment on said arms and having the drive shaft ends rotatably mounted therein, and means mounting an endless conveyer on said drive shaft and first mentioned sleeve.

3. The combination with an inclined conveyer frame, of a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the opposed inner sides of the frame and at the lower end thereof and extending downwardly toward the end thereof, a rotatable idler member mounted upon the opposed free ends of said arms to support an endless conveyer, a drive shaft extending laterally through the sides of the frame at its upper end, said frame having openings formed in its sides to encompass said shaft and sufficiently large to permit adjustment of the shaft in all directions, swingable arms pivotally mounted on the upper portions and on the outer sides of the frame sides to overlie said openings, bearing members mounted for longitudinal adjustment on said arms and having the drive shaft ends rotatably mounted therein, and means mounting said endless conveyer on said drive shaft and said first mentioned idler member.

MANUEL ADRIAN. 

